New store aims to give Park City a fresh coat of paint

Back when he was still earning his chops in the paint industry, years before he owned his own store, Carter Jackson knew Park City was where it was at.

At the time, Jackson was a manager for the Salt Lake City location of the national paint company Benjamin Moore, which is known for its high-end, premium products. He was certain that a Benjamin Moore store would thrive in Park City, where homeowners view high-quality finishes as a crucial ingredient.

"I always believed that the Park City market was a Benjamin Moore market," he said. "We did quite a bit of business up here, even though we weren’t here. So since about 2000, the thought in my head as always been, ‘I’ve got to get to Park City.’"

Finally, his vision has become a reality. Jackson, who became the owner of the Salt Lake City store in 2007, opened Benjamin Moore/Park City Paints in Park City earlier this month. He said he formally began the process of expanding to Park City about three years ago, and the store’s opening is the culmination of a lot of hard work since then.

Walking through the store, Jackson is quick to tout the benefits of Benjamin Moore paint. He said its best line of product features 100 percent acrylic color, which is rare in the industry and results in more vibrant, truer colors and better color retention.

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Many of Benjamin Moore’s paints are also environmentally friendly, he said, which represents a large leap forward in the paint industry. In the past, choosing an eco-friendly paint meant sacrificing quality, but that’s no longer the case.

"If you went with that, you were saying, ‘I realize I’m not going to get as good quality so I can have a product I feel good about and am not worried about. I’m willing to sacrifice that,’" Jackson said. "Now, you’re actually getting a better product and it’s better for the environment."

The environmentally safe product is also important for painters, who are exposed to the paint on a daily basis.

"It means less issues with their health and stuff," he said. "Professionals that have to be in this every day, they don’t want 30 years later for there to be side-effects like guys that use lead-based paints."

Only a few weeks after opening, the store has already become a hit, said Hans Klinck, the shop’s manager. Many painters and homeowners in the area were already familiar with the Benjamin Moore brand, and they had been clamoring for a location closer than the one in Salt Lake.

"Painting contractors have overwhelmingly been positive about us being in this market," said Klinck, adding that he has been in the industry since 1975. "We’ve had a lot of people walking through that door telling us they’re glad we’re here. The response, not only from contractors but from homeowners who have come in, has been so excited. It’s really uplifting when you’re starting a business."

Jackson is hopeful the enthusiasm surrounding the store develops into a loyal following. That is what has happened at his Salt Lake store, and he is eager to see it take place in Park City. For him, getting to know the people who come into his stores is a highlight.

"I love the people that I deal with on a daily basis," he said. "Not just employees, but the people that come in every day like the painters that we deal with. They’re friends now. You don’t even have to worry about the business aspect. You are working with your friends."

Even better, he said, is the fact that he gets to provide a valuable service to those he considers friends.

"So many people are passionate about their homes and the feelings their homes create and give to themselves and visitors that come," he said. "This is part of that. This is part of that decorum that helps them create the feeling that they have in their homes. We love to be a part of it."